Bottle support and lock for liquid dispensing apparatus



31133? 1951 R. w. OODWARD ,815

BOTTLE su RT AND LOCK FOR LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 12, 1948 2 sheets sheet, 1

I '7- a M mag? w Z0 5/2" flllwmi R. w. WQODWARD 2,559,815 BOTTLE PORTAND LOOK FOR LIQUID PENSING APPARATUS Juiy 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1948 Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED S'i'A'i'itlg em IOFFIQE BOTTLE SUPPORT AND LOOK FOR LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle supporting means as a part of an apparatus for dispensing liquid from a bottle thus supported. A support for a similar purpose is described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 776,577, filed September 27, 1947, for Closure and Support for Bottle with Locking Means. The present invention is embodied in a closure device which has several new and advantageous features hereinafter described in detail. The improved closure device is designed to be quickly and easily mounted on or removed from a dispensing mechanism by which liquor can be dispensed in measured quantities from the bottle and an automatic record kept of the quantities dispensed. The closuredevice is locked on the bottle by an expanding mandrel which engages within the neck of the bottle. The closure device has a discharge passage therethrough and a slide which can be moved to open or close this passage and can be locked in the closed position. When the closure device is mounted on a dispensing mechanism of the kind for which it is constructed, the slide is automatically unlocked and can be retracted to open the passage and permit liquid in the bottle supported by the closure device to flow into the dispensing mechanism. Before the closure device can be dismounted from the dispensing mechanism, the slide mus-t first be moved to its passage-closing position. When the closure device is then dismounted from the dispensing mechanism, the slide is locked in its passage-closing position sothat the passage cannot be opened except by one having a proper key. A novel form of key is provided, as hereinafter described. The expansible mandrel within the bottle neck is accessible by a tool which must be thrust in through the discharge passage in the closure device. Hence the device, when locked to a bottle, cannot be removed therefrom except by one having a key by which the slide can be unlocked.

Thus, for example, a bar from which the proprietor must be absent most of the time may be equipped with a dispensing mechanism for each kind of liquor to be served. The estimated numbers of bottles of each kind of liquor which may be called for during the day are taken from locked storage, opened and secured to closure devices embodying the present invention. Each closure device is thereupon shut and locked, but the slide is automatically unlocked when the device is mounted on a dispensing mechanism. Thus, when a bottle is emptied, it can be dismounted with its closure device from the vdispensing mechanism and replaced by a full bottie. At the end of the day, the proprietor, having' a key to unlock the slides of the closure devices, removes the devices from the emptied bottles. These devices can then be attached to freshly opened bottles as desired.

For a more complete understanding of themvention, reference may behad to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing unit and bottle closure embodying the. invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of the closure device shown in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the top portion of the dispensing unit;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a combined key and tool;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 4; and

Figure 10 is similar to Figure 9 but shows the parts in different positions of operation.

As shown in Figure 1, the invention can be embodied in a dispensing unit which may conveniently be mounted on a wall or other suit able support 25. fhe unit comprises a casing or housing 22 to which is secured a measuring cup 2% having a delivery spout 26 at the bottom thereof. Within the housing 22 are devices for operating valves to admit liquid into the cup 2 and subsequently to discharge such liquid through the spout 26. into a glass or. other container held thereunder. For the operation of these valves a convenient. rocking lever 28 is provided. The housing 22 may also contain other mechanisms such as a tally register which exhibits on a dial 39 the number of times the. lever 28 is operated.

Removably secured. on top of the. housing 22 is a closure device 32 which, as shown, comprises a body conveniently made in two parts 34, 35 through which a duct 3.6 extends vertically. This duct, as indicated in Figure 2, is adapted to project upward into the neck of a bottle 38. In order to make a liquid-tight'connection between the duct and the bottle, a conical gasket or washer 40 is provided to wedge into the mouth of the bottle. In order to lock" the device to the bottle, suitable locking means are shown, such means comprising a circular series of flexible fingers 42, which preferably are of spring metal and which surround the duct 35. These fingers may be integral extensions of a tube 43 forming part of the duct, and are provided at their upper ends with knobs A l projecting radially outward and lugs 46 projecting radially inward. The fingers 42 are adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle and to be sprung outward so as to engage the inner surface of the bottle at points spaced from the mouth of the bottle. Since the interior diameter of the neck of the bottle almost invariably increases at a distance from the mouth, the engagement of the knobs 44 against the wall of the bottle neck prevents the removal of the closure device until the fingers are allowed to spring back to their normal parallel position.

In order to spring the upper portions of the fingers outward so as to press the knobs 44 against the inner surface of the bottle neck, and to hold them in such outwardly sprung position, a wedging member- 50 is provided. This member is preferably hollow and is irustoconical in shape, the smaller end being lowermost and located within the circle formed by the upper ends of the fingers 42. A flange 52 is formed at the lower end of the wedging member 58 to engage under the lugs 36 and thus to maintain the wedging member in assembled relation with the fingers. The outer conical surface of the wedging member may be conveniently stepped, as at 56, so that the lugs 46 will bear against a cylindrical surface on the wedging member, regardless of the position of the wedging member, and will thus avoid the upward component of force on the wedging member which would result from pressure of the fingers thereon if the outer surface were conical. A pin 56 is diametrically mounted in the lower end of the wedging member 50, this pin being engageable by a tool consisting of a small hook 58 on the end of a shank 6! of suitable length (Figure 7) which can be inserted through the duct 36 and hooked over the pin 56 to draw the wedging member 56 downward so as to spring the upper portions of the fingers outward until the knobs 44 engage the wall of the bottle neck.

As a practical matter, the closure member will be attached to and removed from a bottle when the bottle is in an upright position rather than in the inverted position illustrated in Figure 2, but for purposes of convenient description, the parts will be referred to as they appear in Figure 2, this being the position which the parts will have when in actual use on a dispensing unit.

Since the wedging member 59 is accessible for operation only through the duct 35, when the fingers are in the neck of a bottle, it is de-- sirable to close and lock the duct 36- when the closure member is apart from the dispensing unit on which it is adapted to be mounted. For this purpose, a slide 62 extends horizontally through the body in a clearance between the members 34 and 35 and intersects the duct 3'6. The slide 62 is provided with a hole 64 therethrough adapted to be moved into and out of registry with the duct 36 so as to open and close the duct as desired. This slide is preferably made in a channeled or dished form with side walls 65 having an outwardly projecting flange 58 along each side wall, as indicated in Figure 4. The upright wall 66 at each end of the slide limits the extent of travel of the slide. For convenience of manipulation, a fingerpiece H1 is secured; to one end of the slide. In order to avoid leakage along the slide, a pair of circular washers i l and l5 are mounted in the members 34 and 35 respectively, these washers being concentric with the duct 35. The washer it bears snugly against the upper face of the slide 32. The washer it bears snugly against the lower face of the slide 62. One of these washers, as for example the washer I6, is provided with a short arcuate rib l8 (Fly ures 2 and 3) which extends across the clearance between the washers so as to bear against the opposite washer. The rib la is arcuate in shape and extends from one side edge of the hole 64 to the other. As shown in Figure 3, the hole 64 is somewhat elongated in the direction of the length of the slide 52, the hole having two straight side edges 88 which are parallel to the sides of the slide, and two arcuate end edges 82 and 34 which are of the same curvature. The contour of the hole 5d at the edge 82: is concave, the contour at the edge 8Q being convex. The curvature of the ribs E8 is the same as that of the concave end edge 82 of the hole so that when the slide $2 is moved toward the right from the position indicated in Figure 3, the edge :22 bears against a side of the rib F8. In such position the slide 82 effectively closes the duct 35 so that no liquid can be removed from the bottle.- The slide also prevents access to the wedging member 5! and thus prevents removal or the closure device from the bottle. When the slide is moved from its duct-closing position, the rib 12 prevents leakage from the duct 3% along the clearance between the body members 31 and 53.

In order to lock the slide in its closed position; so that the duct cannot be opened except by an authorized person, key-operated locking means are provided. For this purpose the bottom mem= ber 35 of the closure device is made with a har row annular groove 86 which is concentric with the duct 36. This groove has a diameter approximately equal to the overall width of the slide 62, including the side flanges 58 thereof. In the body members 34 and 35 are provided a number of vertical bores 88, these bores ex-- tending upward from the groove 86 but having diameters considerably greater than the widtlr of the groove, as indicated in Figure 4. In eachbore is slidably mounted a tumbler 99 which spring-pressed downward by a suitable spring 92. Thus, when free to move, the lower end of each tumbler 96 will rest against the bottom of its bore 88 where the bore joins the groove 86. The side flanges 68 of the slide are notched, as at 93, to clear the bores and the tumblers 90 when the slide is in its duct-closing position, that is, to the right from the open position shown in Figure 3. At such time, the lower ends of the tumblers 90 rest against the lower ends of the bores 88, and the tumblers by engaging in the notches 93 prevent the slide from being moved from its duct-closing position. In order to release the slide, each of the tumblers 90 is provided with a peripheral groove 94 which extends in from the cylindrical surface of the tumbler a distance equal to the depth of the notches 93. The grooves 94 in the tumblers are located at arbitrary predetermined distances from the lowerends of the respective tumblers. When each of' the tumblers is elevated just enough to bring its:

peripheral groove 94 to the level of the side flanges 68 of the slide, as indicated in Figure 4,v the slide will then be free to move to the duct-- opening position shown in Figure 3.

In order to elevate the several tumblers 90 to their slide-releasing positions, it is necessary to get at them through the narrow slot 86. For this purpose a tubular key 95 (Figure 7) may be provided. For convenience, this tubular key may be" mounted on the end of the shank 60 so that the key and tool will be together in one member. The tubular key 96 is of the same diameter as the groove 86 and is adapted to be thrust upward into the groove. The upper edge 98 of. the key 96 is formed with portions of varying height adapted to push against thelower ends of v the tumblers 99' so that if the key 96 is in a predetermined angular position relative to the housing member 34 and is pressed upward against the tumblers, the tumblers will all be elevated to their correct slide-releasing positions. The slide can then be moved to its duct-opening position. When the slide is in such position, portions of the side flanges 68 are then within the grooves 9 of the tumblers so that the tumblers cannot be moved from such positions until the slide is returned to its duct-closing position.

The closure device 32 is adapted to be mounted upon a dispensing unit 22, as shown in Figure l, the bottle to which the closure device is attached extending upward therefrom in an inverted position so that the contents thereof can flow'down into the measuring cup 2 5 and be discharged therefrom by operation of the valves within the dispensing unit. In order to secure the closure device upon the dispensing unit, the bottom member 35 of the closure device is provided with a reduced extension I90 projecting downward therefrom, this extension being provided with angularly spaced outwardly project ing lugs 492.

The dispensing unit .22 is made with a circular recess I6 5 in the top thereof concentric with a duct Hi5 which extends therethrough downward from the top of the dispensing unit. This duct I05 is of the same size as the duct 36 and is in alignment therewith when the closure device is mounted on the dispensing unit. The recess I114 in the dispensing unit is of a size to receive the extension I as on the bottom of the closure device. A circular series of lugs I06 is provided on the dispensing unit, each of these lugs projecting inward over a portion of the recess I [34. The lugs 36' are angularly spaced and the spaces between the lugs are adapted to receive the lugs I 02 when the closure device is placed upon the dispensing unit, the lugs Hi6 being likewise received by the spaces between the lugs I02.

The recess its is of sufficient depth to permit the insertion of the projection IllIl therein far enough to receive the lugs I632 just below the level of the lugs Hi6. Rotation of the closure device through a suitable angle will then move the lugs we so as to engage under corresponding lugs I 66, thus securing the closure device in place on the dispensing unit. A fixed pin I08 in the recess I 94 limits the angle of rotation of the closure device by engagement by one of the lugs I 02. The pin I ha also serves to reduce the effective length of one of the spaces between the lugs I06. This space can be entered only by one of the lugs I62 which is shorter than the others. This prevents the mounting of the closure in an incorrect angular position. The upper surfaces of the lugs Hi2 preferably are inclined slightly, as at H0, and the under surfaces of the lugs I06 may be similarly inclined so that a wedging action is obtained when the closure device is rotated, thus forcing the closure device downward for firm engagement against the dispensing unit.

,ing unit.

In order to avoid leakage between the closure device and the dispensing unit, a Washer II2 may be mounted within the unit around the duct 595-. When the dispensing device is moved into its secured: position, a portion of its bottom surface around the duct W5 presses firmly against the upper surface of the washer H2 and thus seals the joint between the closure device and the dispensing unit.

When a closure device is mounted upon a dispensing unit, the former is closed as hereinbe- .redescribed. It is necessary that the duct be opened after the closure device has been mounted upon the unit so that the contents of the bottle can be dispensed. For this purpose, a tubular key I It is fixed within the recess IE4 in a position concentric with the duct I05. The upper edge I I4 oithe key is shaped similarly to the upper edge of the key 8% and the angular position of the key H3 is such that when the closure device is rotated to move the lugs W2 into engagement under the lugs the, the proper portions of the upper edge of the key will then be in contact with. the respective tumblers 90, elevating the tumblers to their slide-releasing positions. The slide can then be pulled to its duct-opening position by the attendant. When the tumblers are in their slide-releasing positions, it is desirable that at least one of them engage at its lower end, a portion of the key edge H4 which has a higher portion adjacent thereto, as indicated in Figures 9 and 10. It is evident that when the tumblers are so reiated to the edge of the key, the closure device cannot be rotated so as to remove it from the dispensing unit since when the slide is in its open position, the tumblers are locked against longitudinal movement and hence prevent the rotation of the closure device. It is necessary, therefore, to close the slide before the closure device can be removed from the dispens- I claim:

1. In combination with two members each having a duct therein, means on said members for securing thorn together with said ducts in mutual registry, a slide mounted in one said member intersecting the duct thereof and having a hole therethrough movable into and out of registry with the duct to open and close the passage through the duct, said one member having a narrow circular groove therein concentric with said .duct and a plurality of tumblers normally in looking engagement with saidslide and accessible through said groove, and a tubular key mounted on the other said member with a projecting end edge adapted to enter groove when the memhere are secured together and to move said tumbiers to unlocking position.

2... Mechanism of the class described comprising a liquid dispensing unit including a housing having a duct therein extending down from the top thereof, and a bottle closure device adapted to be mounted on said unit with a duct therethrough registering with the duct in said unit, said unit and duct each having a circular series of spaced lugs adapted to move into overlapping relation to the lugs of the other when said device is placed upon said unit and rotated through a predetermined angle, said device having a horizontal slide therethrough with a hole therein movable into and out of registery with the duct in said device to open and close said duct, means for locking said slide in its duct-closing position, said locking means comprising a plurality of spring-pressed tumblers arranged around said duct at a uniform distance therefrom and vertically movable to predetermined slide-releasing positions, and a short tubular key mounted in the top of said unit concentrically with said duct, the top edge of said key being arranged to enter the bottom of said device and engage all said tumblers when the device is placed on said unit, and to move said tumblers to their slide-releasing positions when said device is rotated to its secured position on the unit.

3. A closure device for bottles, comprising a body having a duct extending therethrough, expansible means at the upper end of said duct for locking said device to a bottle with said duct in communication with the interior of the bottle, a horizontal slide extending transversely through said body and intersecting said duct, said slide having a hole therethrough movable into and out of registry with said duct to open and close the passage through said duct, a plurality of tumblers slidably mounted in said body and located at the side edges of said slide and also uniformly distant from the axis of said duct, and a tubular key having an edge shaped to engage said tumblers simultaneously to move them into slide-releasing positions.

4. A closure device for bottles, comprising a body having a vertical duct therethrough, expansible means at the upper end of said duct for locking said device to a bottle with said duct in communication with the interior of the bottle, a horizontal slide extending transversely through said body and intersecting said duct, said slide having a hole therethrough movable into and out of registry with said duct to open and close the passage through said duct, said body having in its bottom face a, narrow annular groove concentric with said duct and having a diameter approximately equal to the width of said slide, said body also having a plurality of vertical bores extending upward from said groove and having diameters greater than the width of the groove, a tumbler in each said bore movable vertically to and from a position locking said slide in its duct-closing position, and a tubular key adapted to enter said groove for simultaneous engagement with said tumblers to move said tumblers into unlocking positions to release said slide.

5. In combination, a body member having a narrow elongated slot in a face thereof and a series of parallel bores therein wider than said slot and communicating therewith, said bores being perpendicular to said face, a locking tumbler slidable in each said bore, each said tumbler having a lateral recess, a second member movable in said body member in a direction parallel to said face with a margin arranged to engage in said recesses to hold said tumblers against movement in said bores when said recesses register with the plane of the margin, said margin having notches 8 therein registering with respective bores when the second member is in a predetermined position to permit sliding movement of said tumblers, and a key comprising a thin blade with a side edge adapted to enter said slot and push said tumblers to positions in which their notches register with the plane of said margin.

6. In combination, a body member having a narrow annular slot in a face thereof and a series of parallel bores therein wider than said slot and communicating therewith, said bores being Derpendicular to said face, a locking tumbler slidable in each said bore, each tumbler having a lateral recess, a second member movable in said body member in a direction parallel to said face with a margin arranged to engage in said recesses to hold said tumblers against movement in said bores when said recesses register with the plane of said margin, said margin having notches there'- in registering with said bores when the second member is in a predetermined position to permit sliding movement of said tumblers, and a tubular key having an end edge adapted to enter said slot and push said tumblers to positions in which their notches register with the plane of said margin.

7. In combination with two members each having a duct therein, means on said members operating when the members are brought together with their ducts in mutual registry and are relatively rotated, to secure said members together, a slide carried by one said member movable therein to open and close said duct, locking means in said one member normally locking said slide in its duct-closing position, key means carried by the other said member engaging said locking means when said members are relatively moved to be mutually secured to unlock said locking means and release the slide.

ROBERT W. WOODWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 966,413 Alkire Aug. 9, 1910 1,085,335 Hennaut Jan. 2'7, 1914 1,485,032 Jances Feb. 26, 1924 1,494,765 Barrett May 20, 1924 2,016,200 Howard Oct. 1, 1935 2,3631%? Reece Nov. 28, 1944 2,369,721 Delzer Feb. 20, 1945 2,370,751 Prager Mar. 6, 1945 2,401,123 Volpin May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 231,525 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1925 

